Co-creating health briefing paper

This briefing paper describes The Health Foundation's Co-creating Health initiaitve and outlines the need for an effective integrated approach to self-management support. It also includes early experiences from the Co-creating Health teams.

Background 

Over 17 million people in the UK are living with a long-term condition and this number is expected to double by 2030. While excellent clinical care helps people with long-term conditions every day, there is enormous potential for them to enjoy far better health and quality of life. However, to do this we will need to change the way we deliver health services dramatically. 

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing emphasis on developing patients’ self-management skills. There is good evidence that this approach helps people take an active role in managing their condition and improves health. However, self-management courses alone are of limited effectiveness if they are isolated from mainstream health services. Self-management support requires a whole system approach.  

The Co-creating Health initiative 

To accelerate the pace of change in this area, The Health Foundation has invested over £5 million in a three-year, large-scale demonstration programme: Co-creating Health. This takes a whole system approach and aims to embed self-management support within mainstream health services.

The Co-creating Health briefing paper describes the initiative and outlines:

• the need for an effective integrated approach to self-management support
• the on-site programmes specifically designed for Co-creating Health
• the evaluation approach
• the Co-creating Health sites
• what is already known about self-management support
• further reading

Case studies

Co-creating Health includes testimonies from those involved with the initiative. Shani Evans, who is living with ongoing musculoskeletal pain, describes her experiences of self-management and her hopes for patient involvement in the initiative. Other case studies focus on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression and diabetes.

We also hear from the Co-creating Health teams from across the UK about their early experiences of being involved with Co-creating Health and their vision for the future.

Who should read this briefing? 

Aside from those with direct involvement in Co-creating Health, this briefing will be of interest to primary and secondary healthcare organisations, strategic health authorities, royal colleges and specialist medical societies, patient organisations and policy makers.